Hayden Panettiere Died From Accidental Fentanyl Overdose

Hayden Panettiere's death has been officially ruled an accidental overdose involving a mix of drugs that included fentanyl, South Carolina authorities said Tuesday. The Greenville County Coroner's Office cited "toxic effects" of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine, reports NBC News, and noted there were no signs of trauma. The 36-year-old Heroes and Nashville actor was found unresponsive on Aug. 16 in a Greenville apartment after a report of cardiac arrest; police say they found no evidence of foul play. Asked for comment on the coroner's findings, a family publicist told the AP that "the investigation is still ongoing and the case is complex."

The DEA is helping investigate, with agents working to reconstruct her final days and trace the source of the drugs. Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was present at the scene of her death and showed officers a bag of medications she'd been taking, according to a police report. Hickerson pleaded no contest in 2021 to two counts of injuring Panetierre, notes the New York Times.